What Can I do With a Degree in History?

The information on this page is designed to help you explore possible careers. Use the links below to navigate to different areas of the page. We recommend working with a career counselor to help you identify careers based on your skills, interests, and values.


History majors develop skills that are highly valued by employers. These skills include: critical thinking, research, analysis, oral/written communication, presentation, & problem-solving skills. Students and alumni may find employment in government agencies, nonprofits, educational institutions, and businesses depending on their skills and experience. Internships or other career-related experience may be a prerequisite to finding professional-level employment.

Ideas for Careers and/or Places of Employment

Careers Reported by History Majors on College/University Surveys

This is a list of jobs history majors reported having at (or shortly after) graduation. This list was built from survey data published by colleges and universities across the United States. The University Career Center provides this list as a tool for generating ideas for further exploration.

  • Account Manager for an American multinational computer technology corporation
  • Admissions Counselor for a private university
  • Analyst for a strategy and management consulting firm
  • Assistant Financial Aid Counselor of a public university
  • Associate Consultant for a business and strategy and strategy consulting firm
  • Associate Director of Development for a university
  • Associate Editor for an environmental magazine
  • Auditor for a commercial bank
  • Business Manager for an actors project
  • Case Manager for a state agency serving youth
  • College Recruiter for a software company
  • Deputy Sheriff for a county
  • Design Engineer for a supplier of integrated circuits
  • Disability Examiner for a state agency serving people with disabilities
  • Early Intervention Assistant for a county office of education
  • Editor for a k-12 textbook publisher
  • Editorial Assistant for a university press
  • Financial Aid Representative for a privately owned arts and design school
  • Financial Analyst for a global investment bank
  • Human Resources Specialist for a federal agency
  • Investigator for a federal agency
  • Investment Research Associate for a financial services firm
  • Job Developer/Interpreter for a disability resource center
  • Legislative Analyst for a member of Congress
  • Manager for an import/export firm
  • Media Buyer for a multimedia service firm
  • Merchandise Planning Analyst for a large specialty retailer
  • Officer in the US military
  • Organizer for a labor union
  • Owner of a business
  • Patients’ Rights Advocate for people with mental illness
  • Police Officer for a county police department
  • Policy Analyst for an integrated communications firm serving nonprofits
  • Production Designer for a production company
  • Project Manager for an insurance company
  • Recruiter for a technical recruiting company
  • Research Analyst for an urban economics consulting firm
  • Research Assistant for a biotechnology company
  • Research Associate for a public relations firm
  • Sales Analyst for a transportation company
  • Social Insurance Specialist for a federal agency
  • Strategy Analyst for a managed health care organization
  • Student Services Assistant for a public university
  • Supported Programs Assistant for a museum of natural history
  • Subsidiary Rights Coordinator for a publisher 
  • Systems Software Developer for an academic press
  • Systems Manager for a commercial bank
  • Technical Recruiter for a software developer
  • Trainer for an airline
  • Transportation Coordinator for a retail pharmacy chain
  • Volunteer for the Peace Corps
  • Web Designer for a product sourcing and development company
  • Youth Employment Specialist through AmeriCorps

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Careers Reported by History Majors on the American Community Survey

The following list of job titles was generated from American Community Survey data. Every year the federal government surveys 3,000,000 people. This list shows some of the most often reported careers for people who majored in history. 

Please be aware that additional education, internships, or career-related experience may be a prerequisite to some of the careers on this list. The University Career Center provides this list as a tool for generating ideas for exploration. To find a brief description of the following occupations, go to the Standard Occupational Classification system.

  • Lawyers and Judges
  • Elementary and Middle School Teachers
  • Secondary School Teachers
  • Postsecondary Teachers
  • Physicians and Surgeons
  • Management Analysts
  • Education Administrators
  • Librarians
  • Counselors
  • Financial Managers
  • Chief Executives and Legislators
  • Accountants and Auditors
  • Human Resources Workers
  • Archivists, Curators, and Museum Technicians
  • Social Workers
  • Marketing and Sales Managers
  • Designers
  • Computer Systems Analysts
  • Social and Community Service Managers
  • Writers and Authors
  • Photographers
  • Public Relations Specialists
  • Training and Development Specialists
  • Editors
  • Computer and Information Systems Managers
  • Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists
  • Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists
  • Training and Development Managers
  • Software Developers, Applications and Systems Software
  • Registered Nurses
  • Medical and Health Services Managers
  • Human Resources Managers
  • Public Relations and Fundraising Managers
  • Psychologists
  • Special Education Teachers
  • Web Developers
  • Purchasing Managers
  • Fundraisers
  • Speech-Language Pathologists
  • Operations Research Analysts
  • Producers and Directors
  • Compensation and Benefits Managers
  • Nurse Practitioners, and Nurse Midwives
  • Artists
  • Database Administrators
  • Network and Computer Systems Administrators
  • Insurance Underwriters
  • Veterinarians
  • Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes
  • Logisticians
  • News Analysts, Reporters, and Correspondents
  • Pharmacists

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Vocational Biographies

Vocational Biographies describes the career success stories of over 1001 real people. Search by career, keyword, topic, and career cluster. Username: portlandsu and password: 3W9N

  • Archivist
  • Museum Exhibit Evaluator
  • Museum Curator
  • Special Collections Librarian
  • Cultural Resources Manager

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Professional Associations

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Sites with Career-Related Information for History Majors

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